The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-30
THE TICKET AGENTS TRICKS
How He Persuades Travellers to Go to
Places They Have No Desire to Visit.
Old Rate Cutting Schemes That Cannot Be
Practiced Now-The Responsibilities and
Experiences of the Passenger Agent.

complacency upon nv countenance" said one of
the genial ticket agents of the city to Journal
reporter yesterday. 1T is seldom that l smile
with no mercenary purpose Catch it while it
lasts. You may never see it's like again. 1t is
the beam Of virtue; the radiance of a satisfied
conscience. Possibly you might like to know
its cause-possbly MOTT makes no difference
am going to tell you. Two men came IN here
this morning. Their faces wore expressions OF
feverish unrest that betrayed them. The desire
Of travel had taken possession of them. knew
1t, and felt sure they did not know where they
wanted to go. Very few people do. 1t is the
most astonishing thing in tie world that the
American travelling public having that faingto
such an extent Nlne-tenths of them per-
petualy going to some place where thew do not
want to go, and with equal persstency refrain
from going where they do want to go. These
said their objective point was Los Angeles, CAL,
and saw at once that my prophetic feeling was
just We do not connect with any convenient
line for that point, and. OF course could not
permit them to fall into the hands of the min
ions of the other lines. I talked with those men.
showed them the folly Of going to driedup
place that already ovsrcrowded. I por-
trayed the rare advantages OF Oregon. Before
they left they both bought tickets TO Portland,
and went on their way rejoicing.
Eyes you right 1 do not always have
such opportunities for doing good. Sometimes
they want to Ito places on our line when they
come in. In such cases it is but seldom that
they need any enlightenment, but occasionally
they do just last week came in for a
ticket a sad pensive man, whose down reached
garments and general contour indicated that he
honest farmer. He told me confidential
ly that he was from Upton, and that he would
like a special-rate ticket to Franklin. He said
his wife sick and the doctor recommended
change of climate, so he had concluded to get
ticket for the old girl while he was here and let
her go. When saw that his better feelings
were thus roused urged him to send her on to
the terminus of our road, but it of no avail
had to admit that ride
over our road to Franklin would
benefit her. and could never get any further
He was determined to let we'll enough alone IL
! had not been handicapped in that way l might
have Eeen of ;nestimabts service to that man.
81 had painful set back a few days ago-one
of the most startling things that ever happened
to me. Two men, came in. and one of them
wanted to go east by Cincinnati He had been
approached by other agents and found it neces-
sary dwell some length the advantages
of our line. One of my best points the
change of cars. which is made there in the depot
no Juggling baggage. no sudden change into
the night air to give man a cold, no tiresome
ride in filthy fea-covered bus over rough
streets that jolt ones life out. think l can
say, without fattering myself, that did the
subject Justice. The convinced. He
said he would take ticket, and then he went
QUITO get a draft cashed raise the where
withaL As he left the other man said he wanted
to go west by Chicago, and l proceeded
TO point out the great benefits to be
derived from travel road. To
make the connection he wanted. there is trans
fer of about a mile by bus at Chicago 1t
very thoughtless of me. but for some reason
forgot about his hearing my GRAFTON to the other
man, and went into the beauties of our transfer
1111 Eel nha
the hot, dusty car to the quiet night, and the
pleasant breeze from the lake, ride in ele-
CANT plush-lined bus through the most beaut
full part of the city. view of the palatal resi-
dences and finest public buildings in the soft
moonlight. / was just getting warmed to
the subject when that Cincinnati man got back
The Chicago man turned to him with look
that said beware of pickpockets,' as plainly as
could be. and in sorrowful, but determined
tone remarked, John, this is place for
Let's get away They got. Excuse me for
brushing away this tear. but when l think Of
the way those men probably fell into the hands
of the opposition and paid their hard earnln gs
for second-class accommodations. l cannot re-
strain my feelings.
THAT is true. The position of a ticket agent
is one of grave responsibility. He is in fact the
direct representative of his road in it's dealings
with the public The presidents and other big
bugs who think they conduct the affairs of
road have very little to do with it's real work
ings It is the agent whom the success of a
road depends. He must furnish the passengers.
lie must get the road before the people and let
them see for themselves what 1t do for
them. That's why the ablest railroad
made ticket agents When a ticket agent
down and isn't fit for business they make him
district passenger agent, and he puts in his
time going TO baseball and running around with
the Elks. OF course, our sphere has been con-
tracted somewhat by the arbitrary exercise of
police powers. It isn't like 1t used TO be when
we kept three or four assistants on the outside
to drag men in lock the door. and make them
listen 1t is a mistaken change. If a
man takes poison any one may lay hold of him
and pump him out, but when man wants to
rush to destruction on the wrong line you must
not stop him. When 1t is too late he finds that
the four-days option has expired, and there is
no help for him.
The bane OF an agents life is the class of
people who always going some place and
never go. 1t is a mania with some men. They
have the fever of travel but 1t never develops.
At one time man of this class wants to go to
California and for about week he is running
in for maps, and timetables. and descriptive
guides. Then he is absen. for month two,
after which he comes back on the verge of trip
TO Florida. You fill him up with Florida, and
after he has spent several weeks absorbing the
brain food you have furnished, he turns up with
wild desire to get to Manitoba. There is no
relief for from freak of that nature. 1t
would perhaps be unduly severe to put him IN
the Insane Asylum while Sullivan furnishes the
butter but some scheme should be devised to
prevent him preying the helpless ticket
agent
Another criminal that ought to be confined is
the who loses the tickeu and wants the
money refunded He has probably bought an
excursion ticket for rate or less and let
the time expire for the return trip. 1t is hardly
necessary say that he wants full fare
funded, that ne doesn't get it. Some men
cannot understand that the purchase of ticket
is a complete transaction in itself, involving
transfer of property to the buyer If he loses
or destroys that property there is
son for the road returning the money than
there would be for a grocer to return money to
n customer who had bought a pitcher of milk
aud spilled it on the way home. 1t NAV not be
the purchasers fault. but it is his misfortune"
lis there much cutting of rates now?"
- fhar mot cn m n mi
Sing rny-s SO there used to be. One of the old
time schemes that we miss now is the extra
baggage snap That a favorite with the
drummers for there was never one of them that
would not go two three hundred miles out of
his way TO save few dollars baggage If
man was going through to New York he would
pay extra rates. say Noblesvlie, and then, if
the matter were judiciously arranged. a party
would come TO him at the Massachusetts avenue